Original Call Letters: WHOO

Originally Licensed: Dec. 5, 1947 

Original City of License: Orlando  

Original Frequency: 990 

Origin of Call Letters: 

Original Power: 10,000 Day/5,000 Night

Original Location: Studios: Hotel Fort Gatlin 545 North Orange Ave. Transmitter: Old Fairvilla Rd.

Original Format: Full Service/Block Programming

History of WHOO

WHOO would broadcast from the Hotel Fort Gatlin in 1947. 

Orlando Morning Sentinel  9-27-47
WHOO, first owned by the company that published the Orlando Morning  Sentinel and the Reporter-Star newspapers, went on the air on Dec. 5, 1947.

A formal dress, gala grand opening event was held along with an "invitation only" reception and dance. In the glare of Hollywood searchlights, Bob Chester's New York Orchestra performed and the "western" band the WHOOT Owls were introduced. Reports said 5,000 guests walked across a red carpet "where microphoned-society reporters described their dress. WHOO maintained their own bands, The WHOO Society Band and The WHOOT Owls, a western band. WHOO had the first girl singer to appear on a regular basis. 990 also had the largest sports staff at any local station in 1947. Among other "firsts" at WHOO included; the first radio city news room employing three reporters to gather, write and report local news. WHOO was the first station in the country to purchase  a "new type" wire recorder. The "Sunday Funnies" were read each Sunday. Band concerts were also a regular feature arranged by WHOO's Music Director Joe McLees.
In 1951 the newspaper company sold WHOO-AM 990 and WHOO-FM 92.3 to Edward Lamb, a  Toledo attorney and broadcaster.
Chuck Wilson fills in some more history of WHOO. "... John Rutledge was the manager when I was there and he worked out of the "Executive Offices" in the Gatlin Hotel on Orange Avenue. The sales force was also located there. I believe everyone else was out at Silver Star Road, which is where the transmitter was located. To consolidate the operation (the Gatlin offices weren't that nice either), John moved everyone to a new location on Rosalind Avenue, but I'm not sure if there wasn't a short transition move for the Executive Office/Sales Staff from the Gatlin location to the Silver Star location prior to going downtown (Rosalind Avenue.) I worked as an announcer/traffic manager/sort-of program director/meter reader/pump primer on the FM side. I had to keep the pump on the well primed or the air conditioner wouldn't work! Anyway, when the building on Rosalind Avenue was remodeled (boy, did it look good!), everyone moved from Silver Star Road to the new offices downtown ... except me! You talk about desolate! There was nothing out there. The transmitter was so far out that they had to pipe in sunshine. I would get there at 5:00 am and leave at 1:00 pm and the only person I would see was the guy who relieved me at 1:00. At first, WHOO only broadcast from downtown and then they started broadcasting from the transmitter site after midnight. Few people realized the facilities at the transmitter were probably as good as, if not better than, any station in town...except, maybe, for WDBO-AM 580. Somewhere around 1960-61 everything moved from Rosalind Avenue back to the facilities on Silver Star Road (is isn't cheap to move a radio station). John spent a lot of money remodeling the facility and it was great to have everyone back out there.

From Roger Simmons www.rogersimmons.com  
An ad from 1947 telling about ABC Radio Network programming coming to WHOO. 

Delmar "Radio Nick" Nicholson-1947-Ranch and Grove Editor-Orlando Daily Newspapers, Inc.   Biography

courtesy of Steve Kennedy

Orlando Sentinel 1948

Jim ''Kingbird'' King